


What May Come

by Alternativerabbit



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Characters Mentioned, Gen, mid game visit, not canon, sad fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-16
Updated: 2016-07-16
Packaged: 2018-07-24 07:17:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7499103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alternativerabbit/pseuds/Alternativerabbit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anders gets a surprise visit in the night from an old friend</p>
            </blockquote>





	What May Come

**Author's Note:**

> This was written November 1, 2014.

Anders knew something was wrong when he walked in the front door. Nevena would call him paranoid; she loved to tease him for his cautious behavior. But being an apostate came with such caution, and he would rather be paranoid than be locked away or worse, killed. He wiped his boots on the entry way carpet before wandering into the main room of the house.

 

  
"Bodahn? Orana?" Anders calls, only noticing Sandal in the corner. The boy seemed to be enchanting; a sword is laid across his lap as he etched runes into the blade. Sandal looked up when he heard Anders voice, a smile spreading across his face.

 

"Enchantment!" He exclaimed before getting back to work.

 

"Ah! Master Anders, welcome home." Bodahn came from the kitchen, Orana behind him. The girl seemed more nervous than usual as she quickly slipped up the stairs. Anders cocked his brow; warning bells were going off in his head. The dwarf laughed as she came closer, running a hand over his beard.

 

"It's not how it looks Master Anders. My boy is all the family I need." Bodahn looks fondly at the young dwarf in the corner. He had finished with the sword and bad moved to a battered shield. Anders brows drew together, something about the shield seemed familiar. Bodahn cleared his throat, getting the mages attention again.

 

"We have a visitor. She same while Serah Hawke was out. She insisted she was to stay until you came home." The dwarf twisted his hands together.

 

  
"Pretty Lady." Chimed in Sandal.

 

"Yes, yes my dear boy. Best not keep our guest waiting, Ser." With that, Bodahn shoved Anders towards the study's closed doors. Perplexed and worried Anders heads into the study. The door closed behind him with a click. A high-backed chair was placed in front of the lit fire, a worn traveling cloak hung off the back of it.

 

"I'm happy Bodahn and Sandal have done well here; they're good people." A voice comes from behind hi, from the stairs. "The same could be said for yourselves." Anders took a deep breath before turning around. At the top of the stairs stands an elven woman, about a head shorter than himself, with a lithe frame. That body held power, though, he had seen her take down an Ogre.

 

"Warden Commander." He breaths as she ascends the stairs, her copper hair floating around her face, not in its customary twin braided buns. The tips of her pointed ears peaked through the wavy tendrils. Her leather armor was dyed a dark black as well as the metal parts. Not the standard outfit for the Warden Commander, but things can happen over the years.

 

"Is that how you greet an old friend Anders? I'm hurt." The woman stopped before him and enveloped him in a hug, her head tucked under his chin. Anders hesitated before hugging her back, breaking in the familiar scent of woodsmoke, leather, and forest.

 

"I am sorry...Absinthe. I'm just surprised." He pulls away from her holding her at arms length to look her over. Much hadn't changed in the past four years. A few wrinkles and fine lines graced her face, they added to her beauty. He could tell she was also inspecting him, her eyes darting around his face. Absinthe raised a hand to his face and caressed it.

 

"Hello to you Justice." She said at last. Anders signs and pulls away from the elf, going to stand in front of the fire. He hears as she sat in the chair behind him. The silence between the two drew out, his Commander patient as always.

 

"They made me give Ser Pounce-a-lot away." He said, at last, winching at the poor excuse.

 

"I know. They got an earful when I returned to the Keep, Nathaniel and Vellina had to pull me off one of the other Commanders." The elf laughed sadly; he could feel her eyes on his back. It was touching to hear that she fought back about it,

 

"Are you here to kill me? For killing all of those Templars and Wardens?" Anders turns to face Absinthe, her face artfully blank. She pats the arm of the chair and he goes to her side and kneels down. The woman sighs and strokes his hair.

 

"No, I'm not here to kill you. You are not the first person I have known who has merged with a spirit."

 

"Merrill has made a deal with a demon, Justice is no demon." Anders interrupts. Absinthe frowns, he can see the sadness in her eyes.

 

"I do not speak of my lethallan. A companion of mine, who helped in the Blight, was bound to a spirit. She said she had known its presence since she was a child. She is one of the best mages I know; she was like a mother to me" Absinthe pauses, a small frown appearing on her face. "I never saw her as an abomination, nor do I see you as one." Anders stares at the woman in front of him. He had forgotten that the Dalish viewed everything so differently. He had learned how mages worked among the Dalish clans from Merrill when she wasn't chatting with her demon. 

But the Warden was different, perhaps because she didn't look at life from a mage's point of view. Back at the Keep she often told him stories of her first weeks away from her Clan. Absinthe had never been a part of her clan until the day she had left them to become a Warden. She often felt alone, she had told him, so many new sights and sounds to take in. It astounded him how open and accepting this woman was.

 

"I should have been there. None of that would have happened if I hadn't left." Absinthe continued, her eyes blazing with anger. Anders let out a small gasp, taken aback by her fierce regret.

 

"You can't seriously blame yourself for what happened! Absinthe you were pregnant! You left to be with Warden Anders and your son! Do not blame yourself for what happened; it was my choice." Anders stands and starts pacing in front of the fire, damning himself. He never meant to hurt anyone when he left the Country, the harsh actions of the Templars led to their deaths. How was he to know the Warden would feel responsible for his actions. How selfish he was.

 

"If you're not here to kill me, then why are you here Absinthe? It can't be just for a simple hello." The blonde mage turns to face the elven woman. She shifted in her seat awkwardly and avoided his questioning gaze.

 

"I've been in the city for about a month. I almost ran into Merill when I first got here." She smiles sadly. "I was afraid to approach her. I haven't seen my clan for so long. They never told me where they were going when I left. I finally tracked them down two years ago, but I had some other things to finish.Tracking down my companions. I guess I waited too long to come to my clan." Absinthe stares into the fire, her eyes glassy. Anders kneels in front of her again and hugs her, a small sniffle escaping from her lips. He had been there when Hawke had no choice but to slay Merrill's clan, Absinthe's clan.

 

"Why haven you come to seen me sooner? I bet Hawke would love to meet you." He knew for a fact that Nevena would love to meet her idol, she had talked both his and Merrill's ears off about the Hero of Fereldan. Absinthe pulls back and wipes her face, patting his shoulder in thanks.

 

"I've been watching; you pick up a few things when traveling with rogues. No one knows that I am here." Absinthe pulls back and levels Anders with a stare. "Someone is looking for me. I am not sure why, but I plan to be no part of it. Something is coming Anders; I feel it. You feel it." The elf gently pushes him to his feet and stands, grabbing her cloak from the back of the chair.

 

"I came with a warning Anders. Be safe. I know you have feelings for Serah Hawke, the friends you have made here. You must leave, preferably with them. Scatter like my companions have done. Whoever is looking for me will come for Hawke, her fame is starting to be known all over."  The Warden Commander crosses the room and opens the double doors, Anders trailing after her.

 

"You've done well Sandal, I've missed your craftmaship." Absinthe gathers she newly runed sword and shield from the crafting table. She straps both to her back and shakes Bodahn's hand, giving the dwarf a warm goodbye. Anders blinks, taken aback by the familiarity between the three. He trails his friend and Commander to the door of the istate; Absinthe turns to face him with a grim expression.

 

"Be safe Anders. Don't do anything stupid." Absinthe pulls him in for a hug and a chaste kiss on his cheek before slipping out the door and into the crowd.

**Author's Note:**

> So the end is kinda sorta not canon since we know the events of Inquisition now. This was written just weeks before it released so I had no idea what was to come. Either way, it was a nice, sad thing to write and I hope you enjoyed!


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